Introduction to John 1:19-37

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/15/2015 12:11 PM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Introduction to John 1:19-37

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 1:19-37

            Message of the verses:  “19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21  They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he *said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ’MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said." 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

    “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ’After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." 32 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ’He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." 35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”

            What we will be looking at as we go through these verses is “John the Baptist’s Testimony of Christ,” which is the name of the chapter that we are looking at from the commentary of John MacArthur.  These verses take us through three days in the life of John the Baptist, probably the most important three days of his life.

            First of all let us think about some of the great men who lived in the Old Testament Times, men who were war leaders like Alexander the Great, or wise men like Solomon, and we could pick from many others like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, King David and others, but the man that our Lord tells us is the greatest man of all is none other than John the Baptist and his name is mentioned some 89 times in the Bible.  MacArthur writes “He lived his life in obscurity in the desert, far from society and the seats of power and influence.”  John surely was not a wealthy man when it came to material things.  John the Baptist was the last prophet in the Old Testament, and it had been 400 years since the Lord had sent a prophet to the people of Israel. 

As mentioned John is said to be the greatest man who had ever lived up until that time, but Jesus also says that everyone after John in the kingdom was greater than John because they lived in the fullness of all the new covenant work of the Messiah.  MacArthur writes “John died on the other side of the cross and resurrection, though its merits were applied to him as to all Old Testament Saints.  I believe that John was the greatest man who lived up until that time because it was His job to herald the Lord Jesus Christ, to tell others of His coming and then introduce Him to those of that time, but in a way He is still introducing Him to the world as people can still read his testimony of Christ in the Word of God.

            We have already gone over the circumstances of John’s birth which is recorded in the first chapter of the book of Luke, and because John’s father, Zacharias was a priest, that means that John was a priest also, for he came from a priestly family.  MacArthur writes “The unusual circumstances surrounding John’s birth reached a climax at his circumcision.  After naming his son John in obedience to Gabriel’s command (v. 13), ‘at once [Zacharias’s] mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God’ (v. 64) (Luke 1) and ‘all who heard them kept them in mind, saying, ‘What then will this child turn out to be?’  For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him’ (v.66).”

            It is not known much about his early childhood other than what we read in Luke chapter one, but sometime later on he went out into the Judean wilderness and lived on locust and honey until he began his ministry preparing the people for the Messiah to come.  Luke 3:2 tells us in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.”  So we see that the Word of the Lord came to John the Baptist while in the wilderness and I believe that it was at this time that God gives him his ministry, telling him what he is to do as we wills see as we go through this section in John chapter one.

            MacArthur concludes his introduction writing:  “In this passage the apostle John gives examples of the Baptist’s witness, alluded to earlier (1:6-8, 15).  The events recorded here took place at the peak of his ministry, subsequent to John’s baptism of Jesus.  While the Lord was in the wilderness being tempted (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13), John continued his ministry of preaching repentance and baptizing.   On three successive days, to three different groups, he emphasized three truths about Jesus Christ.”  We will take our time looking at these three truths that he emphasized about Jesus Christ in our next SD’s on this section of verses.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that all believers have things that the Lord wants them to do, and it may not be as important as the job John had, but all believers can introduce the Lord Jesus Christ to others.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord each day to allow me to talk to someone about the Lord.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Sinai” (Exodus 31:18).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who did God choose to replace Saul as King of Israel?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/15/2015 1:27 PM